Reducing the seismic damage of reinforced concrete frames using FRP confinement

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of FRP confinement on reducing the damage of an 8-storey poorly-confined reinforced concrete frame subjected to different seismic intensities. Inelastic time history and damage analyses are performed for the poorly-confined frame and its FRP retrofit. Analyses are also performed for a geometrically similar frame designed with the more restrictive requirements of an intermediate frame for comparison with the poorly-confined and retrofitted frames. The results confirm the positive effect of FRP confinement significantly reducing the damage of the poorly-confined frame down one or two damage levels. The comparison reveals that the poorly-confined frame has been essentially upgraded to the intermediate frame. The results are useful for structural designers working in retrofitting area. The limitation of this study is also presented.